A Mom's Spare Time: Cybils

Showing posts with label Cybils. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Cybils Short Lists - a.k.a. the Books You Must Buy Now!

Here they are! The best of the best in everything from board books to young adult. If you don't have any of them on your shelves, get to ordering right away! Just click here to access the lists!

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Review: Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller and Jen Hill

9781626723214

$17.99

When Tanisha spills grape juice all over her new dress, her classmate wants to make her feel better, wondering: What does it mean to be kind?

Oh, can anybody anywhere really argue with this simple sentiment? I mean, it's hard to read in this only picture I could find, but that is the very first thing we wrote on our stairs:

The protagonist comes up with some wonderful ways we can all be kind, regardless of our age - be it giving, helping, or just paying attention. She dreams that small kindnesses might add up to something big that spreads throughout the world. Again, who could argue with that?

Hill's illustrations, particularly facial expressions and use of shadows, can help add to discussions of feelings and the consequences of our actions. A must have for every classroom and home.

***This book has been nominated for the Cybils Award. I am just one of many first round panelists, and my opinion should not be construed as inclusion on or exclusion from the final short list.

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Review: The Old Man by Sarah V. and Claude K. Dubois

9781776571918

$16.99

Day breaks over the town. Get up, everybody! It's time to go to school. For the old man too, it's time to wake up. The night was icy and he's hungry. His name? He doesn't know . . .

This is the story of a person with no job, no family, no home—a nobody, who can't even remember what he was once named. But his day changes when he is noticed by a child.

A beautiful example of how much it can mean to simply be noticed by someone else. And as is often the case, it is the child who is the example to the rest of us. The text is sparse, but packed with emotion. The passage where he can't even remember his name, and finds it easier to just give up and walk away, broke my heart. The second time I read it, I had tears prickling all the way through. Too many feels!

Now let's talk about these pictures! As adults we often want to see bright colors and clear shapes in a children's book, but those would have been completely out of place here. I remember as a child being mesmerized by the illustrations in the Johnny Lion books. As an adult, when I went back to look at them, I was shocked to realize they were just a few drab colors, and rather roughly drawn. It made me sit back and rethink my notions of what kids were certain to like.

I think now that the fuzziness had the effect of drawing me in further, and that is what the illustrator has accomplished here. I realized I was hunching my shoulders in as the old man reacted to the stares of the people on the bus, and they straightened when he returned to the shelter at the end. The facial features are vague enough to transpose many different face onto them. The next time you are out and about, you might realize that the old man half asleep on the bench is the old man in the story. And the little girl might just be you.

***This book has been nominated for the Cybils Award. I am just one of many first round panelists, and my opinion should not be construed to mean inclusion on or exclusion from the final shortlist.

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Book Review: The Rabbit Listened, by Cori Doerrfeld

9780735229358

$17.99

Note to self: Must. Buy. Everything by Doerrfeld.

First off, just look at that cover. Sweet urchin in pajamas, cuddly rabbit giving a just-right hug. If you are having a baby, you need to get that framed and put it on your nursery wall.*

Second, the basic message. Sometimes sad things happen...and you don't want to talk it to death, you don't want someone to tell you how to fix it, you don't want to yell, you just...well, you don't know what you want. In which case, what you need is someone who will just be there, waiting for you to figure that out.

If there is one thing the world seems to need, it's the ability to handle our bad feelings better. Paired with Black's I'm Sad, this book belongs in every home and classroom library.

*The author/illustrator tells me Penguin is planning to come out with a limited edition print of the cover image! Add it to your Christmas list!

***This book has been nominated for a Cybils award. I am just one of many first round panelists, and my opinion should not be construed to mean inclusion on or exclusion from the final shortlist.

*****It made it to the short list! Congratulations, Cori!

Monday, November 12, 2018

Review: Dear Girl by Amy Krouse and Paris Rosenthal, and Holly Hatam

9780062422507

$17.99

As the cover says, a celebration, but also a lot of reminders. Ask questions! Make friends (some like you, and some not!) Be brave! And if something tells you to say no, say no!

While some, like the latter, are serious, the overall tone of the book is positive and lighthearted, (Make your room awesome. Make your room you. And while you're at it, make your bed!)

A joint project between the ever-popular Amy Krouse Rosenthal and her daughter, Paris, one can't help but wonder if there are some family stories behind some (if not all) of these "Dear Girl" letters. Would either of the Rosenthals care to chime in?

Illustrations are a charming mix of media and textures, worth taking a look at all on their own. A perfect gift for a young lady at any age, which brings us to:

Gifting Suggestions:

Present this book to your favorite young woman along with the promise of adventure and exploration. Take her places where she can try new things, or maybe learn alkittle more about herself. And make sure that she knows, as the final pages say, that she can always always always turn to you.

***This book has been nominated for the Cybils Award, and I am one of many judges. My opinions should not be construed as inclusion on or exclusion from the final short list.

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Review: This is a Taco! by Andrew Cangelose and Josh Shipley

9781941302729

$15.99

Taco the squirrel is really excited to be in a book that is going to teach you all about squirrels! That is...until he finds out he's supposed to be eating tree bark rather than tacos. Yuck! And...wait, what's that about predators? Okay, this story needs some editing, fast!

Alternating between nonfiction text and cheeky (pun intended) commentary, readers will both learn and laugh as they follow Taco to the conclusion that, if you want good things in your story, then you need to take charge of it! A perfect extension, of course, would be to offer students a story that does not seem to be going well, then let them take control of it - either individually or as a class project. Hmm, I happen to have some 5th graders coming for a field trip soon...

***This book has been nominated for a Cybils award. I am but one of several judges in this category, and my opinions should not be assumed to mean inclusion or exclusion from the final shortlist!

Monday, October 1, 2018

Cybils Suggestions

It's that time of year again! Unlike awards such as the Newbery and Prinz, YOU have the power to make sure your favorite book from the past year is seen and considered for an award! Absolutely anybody can nominate one book for each of the Cybils categories - but, only one! In case you are having trouble with some of the categories, I have listed some of my favorites below - too many for me to nominate them all myself. If you have a few minutes, head over to Cybils.com and look over the categories, then consider giving some of these a nod!

(click on title link for Amazon information)

Board Books:

Can You Hear a Coo Coo? by Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh - 9781512444438 (my review here) NOMINATED

Peek-a-Who? by Elsa Mroziewicz - 9789888341573 (my review here)

Middle Grade Fiction:

Bat and the Waiting Game by Elana Arnold - 9780062445858 (my review of the first Bat book here) - NOMINATED

The Doldrums and the Helmsley Curse by Nicholas Gannon - 9780062320971 (my review here)

Louisiana's Way Home by Kate DiCamillo - 9780763694630 (my review here) - NOMINATED

The Dollar Kids by Jennifer Jacobson - 9780763694746 (my review here) -NOMINATED

Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones by Sara Levine - 9781467794893 (My review here)

Secret Lives of Insects series by Ruth Owen (pick one!) - 9781788560108

Americans by Douglas Wood - 9781416927563

Benedict Arnold: Battlefield Hero or Selfish Traitor? by Jessica Gunderson - 9781476534077

Meet My Family by Laura Purdie Salas - 9781512425321 (my review here) - NOMINATED

Magnetism Investigations by Karen Kenney - 9781512440058 (my review here)

Fiction Picture Books

Don't Wake Up the Tiger by Britta Teckentrup - 9780763689964

Holes in the Sky by Patricia Polacco - 9781524739485

A Heart Just Like My Mother's by Lela Nargi - 9781512420982 (my review here)

Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival - 978168119852

Ready or Not Woolbur Goes to School by Leslie Helakoski - 9780061366574

Don't Eat That by Drew Sheneman - 9781101997291 (my review here)

I'm Sad by Michael Ian Black - 9781481476270 (my review here) NOMINATED

Your Hand in My Hand by Mark Sperring - 9780545806428 (my review here)

The Big Bed by Bunmi Laditan - 978-374301231 (my review here)

I Got a Chicken for My Birthday by Laura Gehl - 9781512431308 (my review here)

Come Home Already by Jory John - 978006270976 (my review here)

Three Little Monkeys by Quentin Blake - 9780062670670 (my review here)

The Day the War Came by Nicola Davies - 9781536201734 (my review coming 10/12/18)

YA Speculative Fiction

The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand - 9780062318503 (my review here)

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland - 9780062570604 - NOMINATED

***Disclaimer - I have not double-checked all of the publication dates. To qualify, they must have been published since October 15, 2017.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

The Best Part About Valentine's Day

...besides all the chocolate going half off tomorrow...

is the Cybils Awards! Click here to see the absolute bestest book in each category, from Board Books to YA Speculative Fiction. Winners are chosen from hundreds of nominations, based on both literary merit and kid appeal. These are the must-read, must-purchase titles of the year!

Now, to start my list of nominations for next year...

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Review: Read the Book, Lemmings! by Ame Dyckman and Zachariah OHora

9780316343480
$17.99

Oh my goodness. First on my list of possible Cybils nominees for next year. I think the author's note sums it up best:

"When I was little, I saw a movie that showed lemmings jumping off cliffs. Years later I learned that, except in very rare cases, lemmings DON'T jump off cliffs. My first thought was, 'OH NO! DID ANYONE TELL THE LEMMINGS?!' So, we made this book. You're welcome, lemmings."

In our cast of characters we have a comic trio of lemmings, a very deadpan, stoic ship captain (picture the dad in the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movies), and a very patient fox. I giggled just reading it at my desk, and I know it is destined to send small children into gales of laughter. I am dying to read it out loud in story time, I just have to figure out the appropriate distinct small squeaky voices for the lemmings - because they MUST have their own voices, and they must be small and squeaky. Thinking a la Petrie and Ducky from Land Before Time.

And yes, my children have been watching too many movies lately. Bringing this book home should put a stop to that!

Monday, January 1, 2018

2017 Cybils Finalists

Second only to Dave Barry's Annual Year in Review, we have the 2017 Cybils Award Finalists announced today!

As a member of the Board Book/Fiction Picture Book panel, I can heartily attest to the statement that this was "a difficult year". In addition to the craziness mentioned in today's announcement post, I have to say this was the most diverse panel I have been on. Well that is definitely a good thing, as it means more readers are represented, it meant a LOT more discussion was needed in order to come up with a final seven. While conversations were at times emotional, they were always professional and respectful, which is something I think the world as a whole could use more of in 2018.

Without further ado, here are the short-lists for each category - these are the books you MUST order, if you are a librarian. If you are like me you will be silently flogging yourself for each title you don't already have. That's one of the beauties of Cybils, though: since virtually anyone can nominate a title, we get to see a multitude of titles that may otherwise have escaped out notice. Below are titles and authors, head over to Cybils to read descriptions and rave reviews!

Easy Readers

Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy: Book 2by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Emily Hughes

I Like the Farmby Shelley Rotner

King & Kayla and the Case of the Secret Code (King and Kayla)by Dori Hillestad Butler, illustrated by Nancy Meyers

My Kite is Stuck! and Other Stories (A Duck, Duck, Porcupine Book)by Salina Yoon

There’s a Pest in the Garden! (The Giggle Gang)by Jan Thomas

Tooth Fairy’s Night (Step into Reading)by Candice Ransom

We Need More Nuts! (Penguin Young Readers, Level 2)by Jonathan Fenske

What Is Chasing Duck? (The Giggle Gang)by Jan Thomas

Early Chapter Books

Barkusby Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Marc Boutavant

Dragons and Marshmallows (Zoey and Sassafras)by Asia Citro, illustrated by Marion Lindsay